Methods for assigning traceability information to and retrieving traceability information from a store shelf

• US 8,210,430 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: YottaMark, Inc.
• Inventors: Grant, Elliott, Carr, J. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/034,208
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/385, 235/383
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A shelf code in a machine readable format, such as on a QR code on a printed card, is provided where bulk merchandise displayed in a bin. When the bin is stocked from a case bearing a case code, the case code is associated with the shelf code. Lot-specific and lot-independent information previously associated with the case code is then linked to the shelf code. Consumers scan the shelf code with a mobile device to establish a communication channel to access the linked information. Retailers and producers use the channel to reach the consumer, and to solicit feedback from the consumer at a known time and location. A mobile device can also be used to associate quality assessments of merchandise to the shelf code. Analysis of consumer ratings and quality inspection assessments that are tied to time and location can provide valuable insights to both producers and retailers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of shelf codes;

receiving, with a computing system, a first case code in association with lot-specific information;

receiving a shelf code in association with the first case code, the shelf code being one of the plurality of shelf codes; and

creating a web site having a URL that includes the shelf code.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the web site includes populating a template with at least some of the lot-specific information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising serving the web site and then receiving a quality assessment.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the shelf code in association with a second case code, and revising the web site having the URL including the shelf code.